Bibliograph

Home to Biloela, the story of the Tamil family that captured our hearts, Priya Nadesalingam with Rebekah Holt and Niromi De Soyza

Type

Label

Home to Biloela, the story of the Tamil family that captured our hearts, Priya Nadesalingam with Rebekah Holt and Niromi De Soyza

Language

eng

resource.biographical

contains biographical information

Index

no index present

Literary Form

non fiction

Main title

Home to Biloela

Responsibility statement

Priya Nadesalingam with Rebekah Holt and Niromi De Soyza

Sub title

the story of the Tamil family that captured our hearts

Summary

It was dawn in the small rural town of Biloela. Loud thumps on the front door signalled the start of a four-year odyssey that would catapult Priya and her family into the heart of a national debate. For the first time, Priya shares the story of her childhood in war-torn Sri Lanka and her perilous escape across the Indian Ocean on an overcrowded fishing boat. Alone in a strange country, she had to make a new life without family or friends. She married Nades, another refugee, and settled with him in Biloela, where they had two daughters, Kopica and Tharnicaa. The shocking dawn raid in 2018 was the first of multiple attempts by the Australian government to deport the family. A small group swung into action and built an extraordinarily powerful social media campaign that gathered support from hundreds of thousands around the country. Journalist Rebekah Holt first met the family in detention, and recounts the dramatic behind-the-scenes efforts to prevent the family from being deported. After a change of government, Priya, Nades and the girls were granted the permanent visas they needed, and were able to return home to Biloela

Target audience

adult

Contributor

Creator